Russia to America: A Guide to Ayn Rand Homes and Sites

Born and raised under the religious collectivism of Czarist Russia and then the Marxist collectivism of the Soviet Union, Ayn Rand became a champion of Western, non-Russian thought: reason and individualism. This guide shows her journey—not her intellectual journey, but the physical places on that journey, her residences and many sites of importance in her life and her works. It is intended not just for potential visitors to those sites but for readers of Rand’s works. Seeing these sites—if only in photographs—concretizes her life, which was—in the tagline of Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life , the Oscar-nominated documentary—“a life more compelling than fiction.” Ayn Rand was not merely a groundbreaking novelist and philosopher but an individual who overcame great obstacles. It was a mere twelve years from near poverty in Hollywood to Rand’s purchase of an architectural landmark designed by Richard Neutra. This guide traces the steps of her success: from Russia to Chicago, Los Angeles and Manhattan. Michael S. Berliner was the founding executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute and served as co-chairman of ARI’s board of directors. He is editor of Letters of Ayn Rand , Understanding Objectivism and recent biographies of composers Emmerich Kálmán and Jacques Offenbach. Dr. Berliner taught philosophy and philosophy of education for many years at California State University, Northridge. Anu Seppala was director of Cultural Outreach at the Ayn Rand Institute, managing the Institute’s international programs, its annual summer conference (OCON) and its publishing activities. For many years, she oversaw the Ayn Rand Archives. Previously, Ms. Seppala was in banking and finance in Finland and New York City. — ISBN13: 9780996010146